Irvine Welsh to co-write new TV series about acid house

The author of 'Trainspotting' will help tell the story of the origins of UK rave culture in the new project

Irvine Welsh is set to co-write a new TV series about acid house and rave culture, entitled Ibiza87.

The Leith-born author of Trainspotting will take on the new project, which seeks to tell the story of the culture that sprung up around the house music subgenre in the UK in the late 1980s.

Co-written with Dean Cavanagh, Ibiza87 will loosely be based on the beginning of the careers of prominent British DJs Nicky Holloway, Paul Oakenfold and Danny Rampling. Beginning with the trio’s inspiring trip to Ibiza in 1987, it’ll also depict the ‘Second Summer of Love’ in 1988 and 1989 when acid house dominated much of dance music culture in the UK

A press release about the new drama series, meanwhile, claims that Ibiza87 will be “the missing link between 24 Hour Party People and Straight Outta Compton.” It’ll be produced by Fulwell 73, who will develop the new show with Sony Pictures International.

Speaking about the new project, Welsh said that the opportunity to be at the helm of a project like Ibiza87 was “a dream come true.”

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“The house music scene and most importantly, the friendships made, the adventures had and crazy tales swapped, have been a pivotal part of our lives over the years,” Welsh said. “Those beats, pills and travels (whether to the other side of the world or across the town) shaped a generation, and the opportunity to construct a drama within this backdrop is a dream come true.”

Oakenfold, meanwhile, revealed that he was “excited” about the narrative focus of the new series.

“[The show] ties in with the 30-year anniversary of our trip to Ibiza and what followed thereafter; the birth of the dance music club and festival scene as we know it today,” he said. “It’s great to celebrate with this project as well as my world tour this year which is about just that, three generations of dance music.”